Combination lock for automotive vehicle ignition and hood



May 17, 1966 F. w. SIEGEL 3,251,204

COMBINATION LOCK FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE IGNITION AND HOOD Filed Nov. 2,1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I, I f. V II IT/II I f I I 59 I "a; 74" (40 2159'64 INVENTOR. (ID/75m FREDEmcK w. SIEGEL M? 4 BY fi-wsM AITORMEY.

F- W. SIEGEL May 17, 1966 COMBINATION LOCK FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLEIGNITION AND HOOD Filed Nov. 2, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet z W M a @7 m Q r QVIVII- 5 j 6 a A "w 5 .u a r M a 7 f 8 I E 7 .H6 9 4/ 5/ M Q T MATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,251,204 COMBINATION LOCK FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLEIGNITION AND HOOD Frederick W. Siegel, 2230 Monroe St., Hollywood, Fla.Filed Nov. 2, 1964, Ser. No. 408,143 7 Claims. (Cl. 70-241) My inventionrelates to security devices for automotive vehicles and is directedparticularly to a combination switch and mechanical lock permittingopening of the vehicle hood or bonnet only when the lock is properlyactuated to close the ignition switch.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a security device ofthe character above described comprising an ignition switch and amechanical hood lock, a rotatable control shaft having a plurality oflongitudinal, peripherally-spaced slots, an abutment lug longitudinallyadjustably positioned in each of said slots, and a plurality of slidemembers exceeding in number of the number of said lugs, selected ones ofsaid slide members, when actuated in proper sequential order, beingoperative to successively incremently rotate said shaft to a positionoperative to close the ignition switch and permit actuation of anadditional slide member comprising the mechanical hood lock.

'Another object is to provide a vehicle security device of the characterdescribed including a second shaft in spaced parallel relation to thecontrol shaft and having a plurality of longitudinal lugs actuatable toincremently rotate said second shaft upon the movement of any one ofsaid slide members, and stop means for limiting the rotation of saidsecond shaft upon actuation of the first slide member in excess of thenumber required to close the ignition switch, thereby nullifying anyattempt to operate the device by continuous random actuation of theslide members.

Still another object is to provide a security device of the above naturewhich, under emergency conditions, can

operate from an outside source of electricity, or be actuated manually.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a combination lock andswitch of the above nature wherein the slide members are in excess ofthe number needed for operating the device, and wherein the abutmentlugs can readily be rearranged in their control shaft slots for changingthe combination both with respect to the particular ones of the slidemembers to be actuated for operation of the device, and their sequenceof operation.

Still another object is to provide a security lock for vehicles of theabove nature which will be simple in structure, compact and easy toinstall, and dependable and durable in performance.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description when read with reference to theaccompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numeralsdenote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing illustrating the various componentscomprising the combination lock embodying the invention and theirinstalled positions in an automobile;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the push button control box,

shown separately;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of FIG/3 andillustrating mechanical details of the vehicle hood lock;

FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views taken through the controlshaft illustrating successive rotative increments thereof upon beingactuated by the correct slide members in correct sequence for unlocking;

FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 showing the control shaft inunlocked position and how the transverse groove in the control shaft,when in unlocked position, permits passage of the hood slide member forunlocking the hood lock mechanism;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 11-11 of FIG. 3in the direction of the arrows and illustrating the shaft return springsand control shaft lug for actuating the ignition switch; and

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the control circuitry for the slidemember actuating solenoids.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and referring first to FIGS. 1and 2, 10 designates, generally, a combination vehicle ignition and hoodlock embodying the invention, the same comprising, generally, a pushbutton control box 11 mounted in any convenient manner in the front ofthe vehicle dashboard D (partially illustrated), a slide actuation unit12 preferably mounted beneath the dashboard against the outside of thevehicle fire wall F,

' a control shaft and slide member unit 13 mounted against the inside ofthe fire wall F directly behind the slide actuator unit 12, and a hoodlock mechanism 14a controlled by a hood slide member comprising part ofthecontrol shaft and slide member unit 13.

The control box 11 comprises six electrical switch push buttonsdesignated 1 through 6 connected to energize solenoids S1 through S6,respectively, in the slide actuation unit 12 by electrical circuitryhereinafter described. The control box 11 also has a push buttondesignated by the letter H for energizing a seventh solenoid 14 in thecontrol box 11, and a pilot light 15 energized whenever the device isunlocked or whenever one or more of. the solenoids S1 through S6 remainsenergized after depression of one or more the manual control switch pushbuttons 1 through 6.

The ho'od solenoid 14 and the shaft control solenoids S1 through S6comprising the slide actuation unit 12 are mounted in a horizontal rowin a housing member 16 secured against the outside of the fire wall F,and comprise backwardly-extending plungers 17 through 23, respectively,secured at their outer ends to upstanding portions 24 through 30 ofelongated slide members 31 through 37. The slide members 31 through 37extend forwardly under their respective solenoids and through a slot 38in fire wall F, and are slidingly disposed against the inside bottomwall 39 of the housing member 16 and the inside bottom wall 40 of ahousing member 41 comprising the control shaft and slide member unit 13.Compression springs 42 ctircumjacent each of theplungers 17 through 23yieldably hold the plungers in their rearwardmost positions, whereat theupstanding portions 24 through 30 abut the rear wall 43 of the housingmember 16 and whereat the slide members 31 through 37 are in fullywithdrawn or rest position.

The housing member 41 of the control shaft and slide member unit 13,which is secured against the inside of the fire wall F in any convenientfashion (not illustrated), further comprises parallel side walls 44 and45, and a rear wall 46. R-otatably journalled within the housing member41 between the side walls 44 and 45 thereof and in perpendicularlyextending relation above the slide members 31 through 37 are acylindrical control shaft 47 and an auxiliary shaft 48. The controlshaft 47 is provided at one end with a first radial projection 49 whichabuts one side of a stop member 50 fixed against the inside of the sidewall 44 of the housing member 41, to limit anti-clockwise motion (asseen in FIG. 5) of said control shaft, and a second radial projection 51which abuts the other side of said stop member to limit clockwisemotion. A helical torsion spring 52 surrounding the other end of thecontrol shaft 47 and secured at one end thereto and at the other end toside wall 45, serves to yieldingly urge said control shaft in itsanti-clockwisemost poistion whereat the first radial projection 49 abutsthe stop member 50 (see FIGS. 4 and The control shaft 47 is formed withthree arcuately spaced longitudinal slots 53, 54 and 55 for supportingin an adjusted position therealong, rectangular lugs 56, 57 and 58,respectively. The lugs 56, 57 and 58 may be held by frictional contactin their respective slots, or be secured by circular clips or any otherdevice (not illustrated) for holding them in adjusted position.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 11, the control shaft 47 is also providednear the end wall 45 with a radiallyextending lug 59 which, when thecontrol shaft is rotated to its most clockwise position by actuation ofthe correct three slide members of the slide members 32 through 37 incorrect sequence, as is hereinbelow described, moves into abuttingengagement with the actuating button 60 of an ignition switch 61 securedto the bottom wall 40 of the housing member 41. The control shaft 47 hasa transverse slot 62 in register with the .slide member 31 and sopositioned about the shaft periphery as to be disposed in its lowermostposition (as illustrated in FIG. when said control shaft is rota-ted toits most clockwise position (as seen in FIGS. 4 and 10). In thisposition, the ignition switch 61 will be closed as described above, theslide member 31, which has an upstanding rectangular abutment member 63normally preventing outward sliding motion upon actuation of itsassociated solenoid 14, can pass under the control shaft 47 as seen inFIG. 10 to unlock the hood lock mechanism 14a as is hereinbelow morefully described.

, The elongated slide members 31 through 37 are provided with respectiveupstanding abutment portions 64 through 69, respectively, positionedjust rearwardly of the control shaft 47 when said slide members are atrest position.

Operation of the slide mechanism in controlling the incremental rotationof the contr l shaft 47 will now be described. With the lugs 56, 57 and58 positioned in their respective slots 53, 54 and 55 as illustrated inFIGS. 3 and 5, it will be noted that lug 56 is in the lowermost positionand therefore the first lug in position to be contacted, in thisinstance by the abutment portion 66 of the slide member 34. FIG. 7illustrates how the forward movement of the slide member 34 uponenergization of its associated solenoid S3 by actuation of switch button3, will have turned the control shaft 47 by the first incremental amountto bring the lug 57 into position for contact by the abutment portion 64of the slide member 32. The operator, knowing the combination, will nextdepress switch button 1 to energize solenoid S1 and thereby actuateslide member 32 to turn the control shaft 47 by the second incrementalamount to bring the lug 58 into position for contact by the abutmentportion 68 of the slide member 36 (see FIG. 8). The operator will nextdepress switch button 5 to actuate slide member 36 to turn the controlshaft 47 by the third and final incremental amount whereat, asillustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 and as described above, the ignitionswitch 61 will be actuated to permit starting the vehicle motor, andwhereat the slide member 31 associated with the hood lock mechanism canpass outwardly to unlock the hood. As is hereinbelow described inconnection with the descriptionof solenoid control circuit operation,the first three solenoids energized of the solenoids S1 through S6 willremain energized, but will become deenergized upon the next subsequentdepression of any one of the control switch buttons 1 through 6. Thusthe depression of any button after unlocking of the ignition switchreturns the mechanism to rest condition again to turn off or lock theignition switch. At any time that the ignition 4 switch 61 is on orclosed, however, depression of the H button on the push button controlbox 11 will unlock the vehicel hood to permit its being opened bymechanism now to be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 6.

The slide member 31 associated with the solenoid 14, whose energizationis controlled by depression of the H push button in the control box 11,is longer than the slide members 32 through 37, and extend through aslot 7th in the rear Wall 46 of the housing member 41. The outer end ofthe slide member 31 is pivotally connected to one arm 72 of a bell-crankmember 73 swingably journalled upon a horizontally extending bracket 74secured against the inside of the vehicle body at one side and justbelow the rim of the hood opening as by bolts 75. The other arm 76 ofthe bell-crank member 73 is pivot-ally connected to one end of a slidebar 77. The other end of the slide bar 77 passes through a slot 78 in aU-shaped bracket 79 also secured tothe inside of the vehicle body justabove the bracket 74 as by bolts 74a. The U-shaped bracket 79 defines avertically-extending slot 80 through which the lower end of a hook bar81 secured as by bolts 82 to the hood 83 (partially shown) extends. Thelower end of the bar 81 is formed into an upwardly-extending hook 84defining an opening in register with the outer end of the slide bar 77and of such size as to receive said slide bar when the hood is closedand in locked condition, as is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6. Inoperation, upon actuation of the slide member 31 its movement to theleft (as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4) will rotate the bell-crankmember 73 anti-clockwisely to withdraw the slide bar 77 out ofengagement with the hook bar 81, thereby permitting the hood to beopened in the usual way.

Mechanical means is-also provided to prevent sliding movement of any oneof the slide members 32 through 37 upon the depression of the fourthswitch button of the switch buttons 1 through 6 or upon manual actuationof a fourth slide member of the slide members 32 through 37 in anattempt to unlock the device by random actuation of said buttons orslide members. To this end, the auxiliary shaft 48 is provided with aradial projection 85 which abuts one side of a stop member 86 securedagainst the inside of the side wall 44 of the housing 41 to limitanti-clockwise rotary motion (as seen in FIG. 5) of said auxiliaryshaft, and which abuts the other side of said stop member to limitclockwise rotary motion. A spiral torsion spring 87 surrounding theother end of the auxiliary shaft 48 and secured at one end thereto andat the other end to side wall 45 serves to yieldingly urge saidauxiliary shaft in its most anticlockwise position, whereat the radialprojection 85 abuts the right hand side of the stop member 86 (see FIG.4). The auxiliary shaft 48 is provided with four ar-cuately spaced endto end longitudinal slots 88, 89, 90 and 91 having secured thereinoutwardly-projecting longitudinal abutment strips 92, 93, 94 and 95,respectively. The abutment strips 92, 93, 94 and 95 extend transverselyabove the slide members 32 through 37 and are adapted to be successivelyactuated by upwardly-extending rear abutment portions 96 through 101formed on said slide members. It will be understood that each time adifferent one of the push buttons 1 through 6 is depressed, itscorresponding solenoid-actuated slide member will contact and advancethe lowermost of the abutment strips 92, 93 and 94 to correspondinglyrotatively advance the auxiliary shaft 48 by a discrete incrementalamount such that when the third push button is depressed the radialprojection 85 will have been advanced into abutment bers' 32 through 37upon the depression of the fourth switch button of the switch buttons 1through 6, and return the apparatus to rest condition again, thereby, inaddition to the mechanical means for this purpose, described above,further insuring against possible unauthorized unlocking by randomactuation of said buttons. To this end, referring now to the circuitdiagram of FIG. 12, the push button 1 comprises a pair of gangednormally open-circuit switch arms 103, 104, switch arm 103 of which isconnected to one energization coil terminal of a relay 106 the otherenergization terminal of which is connected by conductor 107 to themovable contact arm 108 associated with a sequence relay 109.

The relay 106 has a movable contact arm 110a normally out of contactwith a fixed switoh contact arm 11011 and adapted to contact said fixedcontact arm when said relay is energized. The fixed contact arm 1 b isconnected to conductor 105 through conductors 1 11 and 112, and thesolenoid S1 has one energiza-tion coil terminal connected through 112 toconductor 105.

The switch arm 104 of the push button 1 is connected through conductor11 3 to one energization coil terminal of the sequence relay 109, theremaining energization coil terminal thereof being returned to thenegative terminal of the vehicle battery. The movable contact arm 108 ofthe sequence relay 109 is operative to sequentially contact the fixedcontact arms 114, 115, 116 and 117 as the relay is consecutively pulsedor energized, the preceding switch simultaneously being opened so thatonly one of the switches 108, 114; 108, 115; 108, 116 or 108, 117 willbe closed at one time. At the completion of the energization cycle forthe four switches, switch 100, 114 will be closed, as illustrated inFIG. -12, and the relay will be in starting or rest position and readyfor a new sequence of operation. struction and operation of suchsequence relays is well known in the art, it is not further describedherein. The fixed contacts 115,116 and 117 of the sequence relay 109 areconnected together and to the negative terminal of the vehicle batteryby conductors 118 and 119.

In operation, actuation of the push button 1 will 'mo mentarily closecircuit the switch arms 103 and 104 to the positive terminal of thevehicle battery. Closure of the switch arm 104 energizes the sequencerelay 109 through conductor 113 so that its movable arm 1108, which isin open circuit position at rest, will move into contact 115 to completean energization circuit from the I negative battery terminal throughconductors 119, '1-18 and 107 to the relay 106, the remainingenergization coil terminal of relay 106 being returned to the positiveterminal of the vehicle battery source of supply through conductor 105and now temporarily closed push button switch arm 1.03. Energization ofthe relay 106 closes its normally open switch 110a, 11% to complete ahold ing circuit from battery positive throughsaid switch and conductors1'11 and 112 to said relay for maintaining said relay energized afterthe switch button 1 is released and the associated switch arms 103, 104again move to open circuit positions. Continued energization of therelay 106 will maintain its switch 110a, 1'10b closed so as to provide acontinued completed energization circuit to one energization terminal ofthe solenoid S1, the remaining terminal thereof being returned tonegative b attery. Thus thesolenoid S1 will actuate its associated slidemember 32 as described above. Since the switch button and solenoidsassociated with the remaining five slide members are connected inparallel in the abovedescribed circuit, as illustrated by the circuitryassociated with relay S6 and push button 6 as illustrated, it will beunderstood that when the next push button of any one of the buttons 2through 6 is actuated, its associated slide member will be actuatedthrough energization of its associated solenoid, and that at the sametime Since the conthe sequence relay 109 will be temporarily energizedto advance its movable contact arm in the position of contact 116. Whenthe third of the remaining push buttons is depressed, its associatedslide member will be actuated and the sequence relay will again betemporarily energized to advance its movable contact arm to theposition'of contact 117. At this point, if the proper number andsequence of operation of the push buttons has (been observed in theactuation of the push buttons, the device will be unlocked and theignition switch 61 will be closed, as described above in connection withthe mechanical operation of the device. Depressing a fourth button willenergize the sequence relay 109 for the fourth time, thereupon returningits rotary switch arm 108 to open or start position again at terminal114, and deenergizing the three relays previously energized and lockedin by their associated switch contact arms. The previously energizedsolenoids will thus become deenergized and be returned to restpositions, leaving the device in locked condition.

As is further illustrated in FIG. 12, the switch associated with thehood push button H is connected by conductor 120 to one energizationcoil terminal of the solenoid 14, the other terminal being returned tobattery negative. Thus, when the button H is pushed, an energizationcircuit will be' completed to the solenoid 14 from battery positivethrough conductor 120, to actuate the slide member 31. As describedabove, if the device is in unlocked condition by proper actuation of thepush buttons 1 through 6 the slide member will be unblocked andoperative to unlock the hood mechanism as described above.

While I have illustrated and described herein only one form in whichmyinvention can conveniently be embodied in practice, it is to beunderstood that this form is given by way of example only, and not in alimiting sense. My invention, in brief, comprises all the em bodimentsand modifications coming within the scope and spirit of the followingclaims.

What I claim as new and desire to obtain by Letters Patent is:

1. A combination lock for automotive vehicle ignition and hoodcomprising, an ignition switch, a mechanism for locking a vehicle hoodin closed position with respect to the vehicle body, a control shafthaving a plurality of longitudinally, peripherally-spaced slots, androtatable between first and second angular positions an abutment luglongitudinally adjustably positioned in each of said slots, a pluralityof control slide members eX- .ceeding in number the number of said lugsand slidable between inner and outer positions transversely beneath said.coutrol shaft, selected ones of said slide members equal in number tothe number of said lugs being operative when moved from their inner totheir outer positions to contact respective ones of said lugs toselectively incremently rotate said shaft from said first to said secondposition, and means on said control shaft for actuating said ignitionswitch when moved to said second position.

2. A combination lock for automotive vehicle ignition and hood asdefined in claim 1 including a hood slide member slidable between innerand outer positions transversely beneath said control shaft, meansblocking the sliding of said hood member from its inner to its outerposition when said control shaft is in any rotative position other thansaid second angular position, and means controlled by the movement ofsaid hood slide member from its inner to its outer position forunlocking said vehicle hood locking mechanism.

3. A combination lock for automotive vehicle ignition and hood asdefined in claim 2 wherein a transverse groove is provided in theperipheral wall of said shaft, and an abutment member on said hood slidemember operative .to pass through said groove when said control shaft isin said second position.

4. A combination lock for automotive vehicle ignition and hood asdefined in claim 1 including means preventing the successive actuationof any control slide member in addition to a number of slide membersequal to said number of selected ones.

5. A combination lock for automotive vehicle ignition and hood asdefined in claim 4 wherein said actuation preventing means comprises anauxiliary shaft in spaced parallel relation with respect to said controlshaft and rotatable between first and second positions, means normallyyieldingly holding said auxiliary shaft in said first of said positions,a plurality of longitudinally-extending abutment strips fixed in spacedrelation about the periphery of said auxiliary shaft, means on saidcontrol shaft members contacting said strips when moved from their innerto outer positions for incrementally rotating said auxiliary shaft fromsaid first to said second p0si' tions.

6. A combination lock for automotive vehicle ignition and hood asdefined in claim 2 including a plurality of solenoids, one for each ofsaid control slide members for actuating said control slide members, anenergization circuit for said solenoids including a plurality ofelectric push buttons, one for each of said solenoids, and meansincluding a sequence relay in said energization circuit operative todeenergize energized solenoids exceeding in number said number ofselected ones of said control slide members upon the successiveactuation of said push buttons.

7. A combination lock for automotive vehicle ignition and hood asdefined in claim 2 wherein said hood unlocking means comprises a hookmember secured to the hood of a vehicle, and a slide bar secured to thevehicle body and movable between positions in and out of engagement withsaid hook member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,491,561 12/1949Horne et a1. 70-241 X 2,494,015 l/ 1950 Tate et al 20043 2,718,7769/1955 Moore 70-241 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

1. A COMBINATION LOCK FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE IGNITION AND HOODCOMPRISING, AN IGNITION SWITCH, A MECHANISM FOR LOCKING A VEHICLE HOODIN CLOSED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO THE VEHICLE BODY, A CONTROL SHAFTHAVING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY, PERIPHERALLY-SPACED SLOTS, ANDROTATABLE BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND ANGULAR POSITIONS AN ABUTMENT LUGLONGITUDINALLY ADJUSTABLY POSITIONED IN EACH OF SAID SLOTS, A PLURALITYOF CONTROL SLIDE MEMBERS EXCEEDING IN A NUMBER THE NUMBER OF SAID LUGSAND SLIDABLE BETWEEN INNER AND OUTER POSITIONS TRANSVERSELY BENEATH SAIDCONTROL SHAFT, SELECTED ONES OF SAID SLIDE MEMBERS EQUAL IN NUMBER TOTHE NUMBER OF SAID LUGS BEING OPERATIVE WHEM MOVED FROM THEIR INNER TOTHEIR OUTER POSITIONS TO CONTACT RESPECTIVE ONES OF SAID LUGS TOSELECTIVELY INCREMENTLY ROTATE SAID SHAFT FROM SAID FIRST TO SAID SECONDPOSITION, AND MEANS ON SAID CONTROL SHAFT FOR ACTUATING SAID IGNITIONSWITCH WHEM MOVED TO SAID SECOND POSITION.